


Humbling River

by vericus



Category: Transformers (Bay Movies)
Genre: Angst, Gender Bender, M/M, Pre-Earth, Pre-War, Smut, plug-n-play
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-13
Updated: 2012-06-13
Packaged: 2017-11-07 16:38:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/433238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vericus/pseuds/vericus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They were chosen by Primus to lead their people to glory...until their predecessors tore them apart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Humbling River

"We found them in the Temple this morning," the priest said with reverence, reaching out to touch one of the sparkling's foreheads, only to pause just short of the glyph emblazoned there. "Truly, this is a sign from Primus himself."

"It's a sign, alright," Sentinel replied with a deep frown. "But not a good one, I fear." The priest looked up at him, startled.

"Primus himself has hand-picked your successors! Surely this must be a good thing!"

"Has it escaped your notice, priest, that one of the sparklings is a _femme?"_ Sentinel sneered. "Perhaps if she bore the glyph of a Prime it would be acceptable, but to have a femme High Protector..." Sentinel made a negating gesture. "It is unacceptable."

"It is Primus's own will!" The priest was clearly aghast, and Sentinel scowled at him.

"He has a point, Sentinel," Terminus drawled from where he was leaning against the door, eyeing the sparklings with a certain amount of disdain. "The message is clear. The priests have all seen the sparklings, and they all agree." There was a touch of suggestion and question in the High Protector's voice, and Sentinel turned to the mech with a considering optic. They'd ruled together so long, that was all he needed to know what his counterpart was suggesting. But as much as he knew the other mech could, and would, execute every priest that knew of the sparklings, they couldn't afford it. Not now, not with how restless the population was getting lately.

"I suppose you are correct. Who are we to disregard the will of Primus?" Sentinel said with a hint of disgust, his words and tone turning down the offer from his High Protector. He turned to the sparklings with a scowl. "Our people will not tolerate a femme High Protector, however. They need strong leadership."

"Surely Primus chose a femme spark for a reason, m'Lord Prime," the priest said with an ingratiating smile.

"One of the first things you learn when you become Prime, priest, is that Primus is fallible," Sentinel said icily, and the priest winced, either at the 'blasphemy' or the rebuke, Sentinel couldn't tell and didn't care. "It is our job, as our people's link to him, to catch those mistakes he makes and correct them." He turned away, striding for the door. "Put her in a mech frame, and see to it that she receives an appropriate rename," he shot over his shoulder.

"M'Lord, that's an extremely delicate procedure, even on a full grown spark!" the priest objected.

"And _he_ is to be the next High Protector," Terminus sneered as he turned to follow his Prime out. "That means you can afford to hire the best, and most _discreet,_ medics."

"It's not a question of skill -" the priest's protests were cut off by the door closing behind Terminus and Sentinel. Their matching scowls sent everyone they met scurrying away as they made their way to Sentinel's office.

"So?" Sentinel asked once they were inside, door locked.

"We knew there was a risk that Primus would try to force us out," Terminus replied with a shrug.

"That antiquated AI needs a good reboot!" Sentinel snarled, slamming his fist down on his desk.

"I agree - especially considering how utterly its intervention is going to fail." The High Protector was smiling now.

"Oh?" Sentinel asked with interest, recognizing that tone in his brother's voice. "What's your plan?"

"He sent sparklings as our replacements." Terminus's smile had turned dangerous now. " _Sparklings._ Who need to be mentored. And who better to mentor them but their predecessors?"

"I do like the way you think, brother," Sentinel replied with a smirk.

\---

It was late by the time Sentinel let Optimus go from his lecture, and his protégé trudged wearily to his chambers. Sentinel was so insistent on imparting all of his knowledge to Optimus, yet his words had less of an impact on the Prime-to-be than a casual comment by an old priest vorns ago - each Prime learned to lead in their own way, for their own time. The comment had stuck in Optimus's processor, even once the priest had been proven to be a traitor. Everyone had the potential to speak words of wisdom, after all. Their deeds didn't negate that wisdom, it just meant one should look extra carefully at it. Optimus had - he'd meditated at length on the comment, and seen its worth. Why change Primes if each one ruled in exactly the same way? No. Sentinel was trying to be helpful, but in the end, Optimus knew he'd have to find his own path.

Shaking his head to clear the heavy thoughts, Optimus palmed open the door to his chambers and stepped inside. The door slid shut and he slumped back against it with a sigh, wishing he could just bridge himself to his berth.

"Long day?" The feminine voice had him straightening in startled surprise, optics immediately seeking out the source. He relaxed when he saw who it was - Megatron, standing at the large window in his quarters, looking out onto Iacon. The fact that his sister was in her femme frame was disconcerting, though - ever since they'd realized that either Sentinel or Terminus had specifically ordered her to have a mech frame, Megatron had been cautious about revealing her third form.

"More lectures," Optimus said as he pushed away from the door, pushing his weariness aside as he came to stand beside his sister. As always, he couldn't help but be faintly amused as it registered that she only came up to his shoulder in her femme form - as a mech, she was half a head taller than him, and far more bulky.

"Sentinel does love to hear himself talk," Megatron grunted.

"It's nothing new," Optimus said with a shrug. "And at least I'm not getting the scrap beaten out of me every few days. How Terminus can justify that as training, I don't know."

"Just as I can't see how Sentinel can justify lectures as 'training'," Megatron replied with thin amusement. Optimus chuckled. "And with what Terminus _does_ say when he decides to lecture, I'd prefer to have the scrap beaten out of me any day."

"Ah. What was it this time?" Optimus asked with a frown. Terminus's lectures were always...alarming in their material. Optimus had been utterly repulsed the first time Megatron had recited the contents to him, and his only consolation was that Megatron seemed just as appalled by them. They'd both determined long ago that only his position as High Protector had kept Terminus from being arrested and tried for war crimes.

"Nothing about warfare or combat procedures, thank Primus," Megatron replied, intaking a large amount of air before expelling it slowly. The slow hiss of her vents was the only sound as Optimus waited patiently for the explanation he knew was coming. "His topic today was on appearances, and behavior fitting a High Protector. Especially in the off-hours." Optimus winced. He and Megatron had both come across evidence of Terminus's off-hours 'activities', none of them pleasant and most of them illegal even under the lax laws Terminus and Sentinel had pushed through over the years.

"Surely he doesn't expect you to pick up his...bad habits?"

"He didn't get that far. Not today. Today he was stuck on the fact that he's finally realized that I've never interfaced, unlike you." Megatron glowered out the window. "According to him, a High Protector must be a 'virile, visible object of adoration', 'equal to their Prime, but desired for their danger and darkness'. This is, of course, completely ignoring the two separate Lord High Protectors that took vows of celibacy."

"Both Terminus and Sentinel ignore history when it suits them. We know this," Optimus replied, resting a comforting hand on his sister's shoulder. She relaxed slightly. "So did he just lecture you about this, or does he expect you to do something about it?"

"He's taking me out to an 'establishment' he knows of tomorrow evening, and I'm expected to do something about my lack of experience." The words were said in a monotone, but Optimus could feel the conflict in his sister, and he turned to her with a curious look.

"What else?"

"Nothing he said," Megatron replied with a shake of her head. "It's just..." she trailed off, a wistful tone in her voice.

"Megatron. Sister. You know you can tell me anything," Optimus told her with quiet reassurance, using one hand to turn her face towards him. She met his optics for the first time since he'd entered and immediately shuddered, looking away again. "What is it?"

"I can't be like him, but I'm not against recreational interfacing," Megatron said firmly after a moment. "It's just that...I'm not particularly sure I want to do it as a mech." The last came out in a rush, as Megatron angled her body away from Optimus, and the future Prime frowned.

"You were given a mech frame purposefully - whether or not he was involved, I doubt Terminus will react well to you revealing your triple-changer abilities only because you don't want to interface as a mech."

"I know that, and I know that there's absolutely no way to avoid it. Unless I flat out refuse to do as Terminus asks, I'll have to interface as a mech," Megatron snapped. "I'm just tired of not being able to be myself. I guess I'd been holding onto the foolish hope that my personal life could be my own. That I could play the part Terminus wants me to during the day, and when he was done with me just...be myself." She slumped.

"It's not a foolish hope," Optimus said reassuringly. "We only have to follow their rules until it is our time to be Prime and High Protector."

"And how much of me will be left by then?" Megatron asked wearily. "Whether or not he knows it, Terminus pushes me everyday to be what I am not. He wants me to be a brutal melee brawler, to show no mercy or compassion. He wants me to be just like him. But I'm _not_ him - I'm not meant to be a melee fighter, I can tell. This...this form is too _bulky,_ too -" Megatron cut off with a ragged intake. They'd had this conversation before. Megatron was as determined and unforgiving in combat as Optimus could be when let loose in a debate, but she was no Terminus. "Now this. It's not what I want, Optimus. It's not who I'm meant to be, and while I can force myself into the mold he has laid out for me, it shreds at my spark to act so differently to what I am."

"I know. Believe me, I know," Optimus said, stepping over and wrapping his sister in a hug. "If we ever discover who is at fault for your frame change, I promise you they will meet justice. Until then we have to play the part, though." Optimus drew back as Megatron went to object again, but she fell silent as he cupped her face and gave her a serious look. "So as your brother and your future Prime, I ask you - what can I do to help you stay whole until then?"

"Develop a taste for mechs who know how to keep a secret and smuggle them in to me?" Megatron replied with sardonic humour, and Optimus arched an optic ridge.

"Even _I_ can tell you that's a tactically terrible idea," he said, and Megatron let out a sharp laugh before the pale attempt at mirth left entirely, leaving a weary, tired femme.

"I don't know, Optimus. I just don't know anymore," she said. Optimus pulled her into a hug again, and she leaned into it, taking the comfort that she'd never ask for, but was offered freely anyways. They stood like that for a long moment, feeling the weight of it all pressing down on them, and holding each other up under the pressure. At length, Megatron drew away.

"I should go. We both have early mornings, and -" She grimaced. "I have a late night tomorrow." Optimus watched sadly as she turned to go. She was halfway to the door when the idea struck him. He barely paused to think on it - one thing that Sentinel's lectures _had_ taught Optimus was how to tell a good idea from a bad one, and this one struck him as _right._ More so than usual, even, which spurred him into moving quickly. His long legs allowed him to catch up to Megatron easily, and he stepped in front of her, blocking her exit. She looked up at him in startled surprise, but he ignored it as he cupped her face again before leaning in to kiss her soundly.

At first, there was no response from Megatron, but then it was like a dam broke. She pressed herself against him, arms wrapping around his neck tightly as their lip plates working against each other. Optimus let his hands slide down over and around her chassis to hold her to him, and they didn't break apart as they started moving backwards, towards Optimus's berthroom. Randomly, Optimus found himself glad that this conversation had taken place in his quarters, since Megatron was so much messier that they would have undoubtedly tripped over something. It wouldn't have mattered in the long run - at this point, all they needed was a horizontal surface. But Optimus was conscious, even now, of Megatron's inexperience, and he wanted to make this right for her.

When they reached the berth, Optimus finally broke away, but only to literally sweep Megatron into his arms so that he could lift her onto the berth, settling himself next to her as he kissed her again. He might have attempted tenderness had it been anyone else, but Megatron was a femme of action, and she was desperately in need of this. One of Optimus's hands rested at the base of her helm, pulling her into their hungry, passionate kisses. The other caressed roughly over her plating, seeking out sensitive areas that made her moan.

At first Megatron just let Optimus touch her, arching into and kissing him as she clung to his chestplates. Then she began to explore, following Optimus's lead as she sought out seams, ports, anything that made him react. She was remarkably adept at it, and Optimus ended up having to grab her hands and pull them up between the two of them.

"If you keep that up, this will be over far too soon," he told her in a low growl. She smirked up at him.

"Have a little restraint, Optimus," she purred, and he growled at her again, leaning in to kiss her hungrily again. He could _feel_ her laughing at him, and in response, he moved so that he rested above her, instead of beside. Her laughter vanished as his bulk settled over her, and he released her hands to brace himself so that he didn't crush her. Not that it seemed she would have minded if he had, from the way she immediately clung to him, explorations forgotten.

Optimus pulled away from the kiss then, dodging Megatron's attempt to pull him back into it as he leaned in to nip at her neck cabling. She moaned satisfyingly as he explored down her neck and along the shoulder struts, glossa occasionally flicking out to slip into armor seams, finding sensitive cables to wrap around or slide along before he continued. Then he moved back along her chassis, tracking a steady path down to her opposite hip. He had to hold her hips down as she tried to press up against him, and she growled menacingly at him. Optimus merely smiled and spent extra time on her apparently very sensitive hips. She tugged impatiently at him, and with a last nip, he pushed himself upwards to kiss her again.

The first field spike came from Megatron as she arched into that kiss. It was wild and uncontrolled, and considering her reaction, entirely unexpected. Optimus chuckled lightly as she drew back sharply, a startled expression in place. She looked up at him with a mix of irritation and uncertainty, and Optimus smiled before spiking his own field. Megatron gasped, one hand tightening convulsively against his armor.

"Shunt excess energy into your field. Try to focus on a specific wavelength," Optimus murmured as he leaned in to nip at her audio. Megatron squirmed slightly as she tried to do as instructed, and her next field spike was scattered, maintained a little too long, but still played havoc with Optimus's fields. He held back a groan as he responded with his own spike on the same wavelength, showing her how it was supposed to go. Megatron growled irritably, clearly displeased that she hadn't gotten it right. She tried again, and this time Optimus couldn't hold back the groan as she proved just what a quick study she was.

Field spikes weren't the only tricks Optimus had, though, and as Megatron smirked up at him, pleased with herself, Optimus smiled and...played. He'd become remarkably adept at manipulating his field, even outside interfacing, and he put those skills to their full use now. Megatron writhed beneath him as Optimus pulsed, spun, and reversed his field. His manipulations had his field practically visible, crackling against Megatron's. She was completely lost to the sensations, and only as he could see her overload building did Optimus stop.

He didn't draw back his field, though - one thing he'd learned from the several berth partners that he'd had was that they really loved a Prime's field. Or possibly just his. He wasn't a Prime yet after all, and he hadn't exactly asked Sentinel about it. He extended his field completely around Megatron, engulfing her own field inside his, and she stilled with a sudden gasp. Her optics dimmed, shudders rippling through her frame, and for a moment, Optimus wondered if he'd pushed a little to far and she'd overloaded - then he began to worrying that something was wrong as she didn't move.

"Megatron?" he asked with concern. He started to withdraw his field, and her grip on his plating convulsed.

"Don't," she said hoarsely. He left his field as it was, watching her worriedly. "Sorry, it's just...your field is very nice." Her optics brightened again, and she smiled up at him - one of her truly happy smiles that was always so incredibly rare to see. Optimus smiled back, then leaned in to kiss her gently. Her field pulsed inside his experimentally, and he hummed in satisfaction at the feeling, continuing to kiss her gently as she experimented with manipulating her own field. She was nowhere near adept as Optimus, but she was creative, and it wasn't long before Optimus found himself as worked up as she was, wanting more.

Their kisses grew heated again, and one of Optimus's hands drifted down to her interface port. She twitched away at first, but that was to be expected, and Optimus just lazily made his way to the port again, letting the back of his knuckles brush over it before his hand went to rest on her hip. She'd tensed beneath him, and he let his field pulse reassuringly around her, pulling away slightly to nip lightly at her neck cabling again. A gentle reminder that this was for pleasure, and that he wouldn't hurt her. Megatron relaxed, and Optimus's hand returned to the port. He could tell she fought against the instinctual tensing, and splayed his hand over the port, just letting it rest there so she could get used to being touched there.

Only when Megatron had relaxed completely again did Optimus move his hand, finding the latch for her interface port and popping it. She shuddered, but didn't draw away, and one of her hands drifted uncertainly down to where his port was located. Optimus kissed her hungrily as, after a moment of hesitation, she moved boldly, roughly caressing his port once before opening it. The cabling inside coiled out, wrapping around her fingers in an instinctive response to heated metal. She started, but then guided it to her own port, and the sensors on the connector did the rest, forming the connection between them.

Optimus had long since lowered his firewalls in anticipation, but Megatron's were firmly up, and he gently pressed against them. Data packets from his systems bounced off them harmlessly, and she shuddered. Optimus smiled into the kiss - it figured that she'd be one of those who found firewall play erotic. He raised one of his lesser firewalls as she sent a tentative packet through the link, and the slight resistance sent another shudder through her. Her firewalls wavered slightly, and Optimus increased his pressure on them. He ran a hand along her side, caressing several sensitive spots as a distraction, and her firewalls collapsed entirely.

As with his field, Optimus moved immediately, pushing their systems together before she could stop and think. Data packets and transfers crossed, at first causing nothing but confusion, and then the link settled. The pleasure, now, was internal as well as external. Caresses came cybernetically, in the very spark of their systems, and Megatron didn't need to be shown what to do, pulling it right out of Optimus's own systems as they pushed and pulled against one another. Physically their touches become rough and rapid, pushing into the cybernetic connection only to be magnified a thousand fold and turned back against their instigator. Megatron bit down sharply on Optimus's shoulder plating, and then cried out at he sent the feeling of pain and pleasure back at her.

An interface connection could not be maintained indefinitely, though - the sheer amount of data being built up couldn't be stored, couldn't be maintained. It took over their processors, invading essential systems until survival protocols kicked in, and the data was dumped. The sudden void sent a rush of energy through their systems, and they clung to each other as their overloads washed over them, sending their systems offline.

\---

Optimus woke from recharge first, his usual morning alarm alerting him to the fact that his systems had decided to just get the recharge he needed while he was out. He smiled as his optics onlined and he found himself curled around Megatron, one arm draped over her waist, their fingers laced together loosely as she held onto him even in recharge. Her systems were completely powered down, something Optimus knew Terminus had trained her to never do. He bent his head and kissed the back of her helm softly before drawing back to watch her recharge, his morning meditations completely forgotten for once as he let utter contentment wash through him.

Megatron finally stirred a few breems later, coming online in bits and pieces. Optimus could tell the moment she registered that there was someone behind her, and then who it was. She snuggled back against him then, her grip on his hand tightening. Optimus chuckled faintly, leaning in to nip at her audio. She turned and gave him a mild glare.

"Good morning," he rumbled in a low octave, tightening his arm around her briefly in a half-hug. Megatron smiled up at him.

"That it is," she said, then turned around so she could face him properly, pulling him in for a kiss. He returned it lazily, knowing they had no time to start anything now. Their mentors left them little time to themselves, and they were fast approaching the time when they needed to go meet for morning energon. Megatron knew it, too, and drew away with a sigh. Her optics dimmed for a moment before she looked up at Optimus. "Thank you, Optimus."

"I will always be here for you, Megatron - in whatever way you need me," he told her seriously. Her smile was almost sad, and then she turned away, sliding off the berth and folding out into her mech form.

"Come, brother - our mentors will be waiting for us," Megatron said, glancing lazily over his shoulder, the usual bass drawl returned.

"Go ahead, I need to visit my washracks quickly," Optimus replied with a wry smile, glancing down at the clear bite mark on he shoulder plating.

"Don't take too long." The embarrassed tinge in the tone was something only Optimus would ever be able to pick out, and he chuckled as his brother left the room. Only once the door to his chambers closed behind Megatron did Optimus push himself up off his berth and make for the washracks. He'd be late this morning, but Sentinel hadn't gotten to lecture him on punctuality lately, anyways.

\---

Terminus drummed his fingers against the surface of his desk as he waited for his protégé to appear. He'd scheduled early morning training for the future High Protector, though Megatron had clearly not remembered. It was just as well that his protégé hadn't, however. Terminus wasn't one to wait for someone who was late - he tended to hunt down those that dared to waste his time and remind them just why it was such a bad idea. He'd done so this morning when Megatron hadn't shown.

Optimus's quarters hadn't been somewhere he'd originally thought to check. He'd only looked there in the hopes that the young Prime would be awake and could shed some light on his brother's whereabouts. Optimus hadn't been awake, but he had certainly been able to shed some light on Megatron's whereabouts.

There was little doubt in Terminus's processor that that old fool of a priest had something to do with Megatron having a third form. It was a good thing they'd gotten rid of the mech when they had - he was far too meddlesome, thinking he knew better than his Prime and High Protector. He was clever, though - using the funds Sentinel had provided him for the frame change to provide Megatron with triple-changer abilities in her new frame was inspired. It was a pity Terminus wouldn't be able to make use of those abilities. Perhaps if Megatron had come to him first - but no, if Megatron had kept this from him, then she likely suspected he'd been involved in her frame change.

Terminus let out a displeased noise as he pushed himself up from his chair and began pacing. He needed to do damage control on this. He and Sentinel had depended on Megatron not knowing her true frame type in order to keep them safe - even they could be called to account for forcing a frame change on a sparkling, no matter how justified. The fact that their protégés were near maturity only made the situation more perilous - the barest hint of scandal, and the senate could vote to have Optimus and Megatron succeed them early.

There was still a chance, though...Terminus paused in his pacing, a slow smile crossing his face. Any accusations would hinge on Megatron's knowledge of who she was. Even Optimus couldn't make that charge for her. If she were to forget about her third form, though - if she were to black out any knowledge of being a femme...

It would have to be carried into her systems as a virus, when her guard was down. Terminus slid into his chair again, remotely locking his office door before beginning the setup for several secure connections. Megatron could wait for her mentor, now, as he saw about negating the threat she'd suddenly come to represent.

"Shockwave, I have a job for you..." Terminus drawled as the first connection went through.


End file.
